Citi Bike offering free rides with online signup this weekend

Citi Bike operator Motivate will offer free rides for Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19, as part of a sponsored, three-city rideshare event in New York City, Chicago and the Bay Area. Photo Credit: Getty Images / Spencer Platt

Cyclists can claim a 24-hour access pass for Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19 by signing up online. It’s part of a sponsored, three-city rideshare event also taking place on the Chicago’s Divvy and the Bay Area’s BABS bicycle networks.

While Citi Bike has offered free riding days in the past, this is the first event to span an entire weekend, thanks to a sponsorship with Sanpellegrino. Its parent company, Nestle, has launched a new mapping app for the occasion. Delightways, as it’s called, guides users to scenic, historical or cultural sites on their way to their destination.

“We are extremely excited about the first-ever multi-city sponsorship deal with Sanpellegrino—and in giving riders in New York and across Motivate networks the chance to explore bike share for free,” said Jay Walder, President and CEO of Motivate, in a statement. “Whether you’re new to bike share or you’re an old pro, we hope that you’ll take advantage of the free ride weekend to explore your city.”

“I think it shows that these corporations want to meet people who cycle and be a part of their intimate experience of their city,” said Madeline Kaye, a spokesperson from the public relations firm Berlin Rosen, speaking on behalf of Motivate.